Chicken Tikka Masala

Cut the chicken breast into 3–4 cm cubes. Mix with yogurt, lemon juice, grated ginger, 2 cloves of garlic, 1 tsp garam masala, turmeric, half the coriander and half the cumin. Season with salt, stir well and leave to marinate for at least 1 hour, though 4–8 hours in the fridge is even better.

Heat a skillet with 1 tbsp oil until very hot and sear the marinated chicken in batches, 2–3 minutes per side, until golden and lightly charred in places. The inside can stay slightly undercooked — it will finish cooking in the sauce. Transfer to a plate.

In the same skillet, heat 2 tbsp oil with butter, add the finely chopped onion with a pinch of salt and sauté for 8–10 minutes until golden and caramelized.

Add the remaining garlic and a little grated ginger, and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the paprika, chili powder, remaining cumin, coriander and garam masala, and toast the spices for 30–40 seconds until fragrant.

Add the pureed tomatoes and simmer over medium-high heat for 8–10 minutes, until the mixture thickens and the oil begins to separate at the edges.

Pour in 200 ml hot water, cover with a lid and simmer over low heat for 12–15 minutes. If desired, blend the sauce smooth with an immersion blender.

Pour in the cream, add the sugar and dried fenugreek leaves crushed between your palms. Return the seared chicken to the sauce and simmer for 5–7 minutes, until the meat is fully cooked through and the sauce turns thick and velvety.

Adjust salt and black pepper to taste. Serve hot with basmati rice or naan bread, garnished with fresh cilantro.